The idea of renovating an office can be scary, especially if you are considering doing it yourself. The do it yourself trend may have you thinking of sprucing up your workspace without paying for a costly interior designer or contractor. Offices in desperate need of repair may require a few bold additions, but many offices and rooms can be completely made over with a few smartly selected statement pieces. Here are a few great tips and ideas to make your office renovations go smoothly.

The first step in any redecoration project is to determine why you are doing the project. People renovate for many different reasons, and your decorating choices be taken in consideration with your needs. For instance, are you buying a space that was previously used for another type of industry, such as a boutique, but you intend to turn it into a tanning salon? Do you want to create space or divide space? Is the office just old or boring looking? Updating an office space can be a great way to improve employee morale and attract more customers and clients.

Renovations can range from large projects to minor redecorations. Either way, you should expect the office interior or exterior to be painted. You may want your walls to be a different color, or just want a fresh coat of paint on the color you already have. If your interior is being painted, you will have to move all your furniture away from the walls, and out of the room completely if possible. Talk to your contractor and decide what needs to be done prior to painting.

When you are happy with the color of your walls, you will want to think about adding some decorations. There are a few different types of art that can be added to walls. The reason you want to add wall art is because it will make your office look classier. Hanging art shows that you have good taste and that you care about your space. Large paintings, decorative mirrors and mountable metal pieces can be combined or used individually. Another plus to wall decor is that it is removable, which is especially important when renting an office space.

During a renovation you may want to change out furniture. If you are converting a space to serve a different function than what it was originally designed for, you probably need to completely refurnish the office. Office furniture comes in a variety of sizes, colors, styles, and price ranges, so look around before you commit to one style over another. If you are on a budget, check out furniture consignment stores because they usually carry high quality items for a much lower rate.

Take advantage of the chaos by having the employee areas touched up if possible. Installing senor toilets and facets and adding a hand drier to the bathroom are great ways to cut down on overhead expenses and can help the environment as well. If you bought a new refrigerator for the break room, you should discuss disposal of the old one with your contractor. You may need to pay a disposal fee, or you could attempt to sell the refrigerator. Contractors frequently do this with the appliance they remove from your space, so why not sell it yourself?

Your office may need more than a fresh coat of paint and some art depending on what your needs are. Adding walls can divide a space and create privacy. Walls can be erected to add an office or eliminate those dreaded removable cubicles, giving the area a look of permanence. Walls can go all the way to the ceiling or they might stop a few feet short of the ceiling. If your privacy needs permit it, keeping walls a foot or two short of the ceiling makes your office look much bigger.

If the flooring of your office is being changed you will have to remove everything from the office, and you might not be allowed in for several days. Sealing or staining a hard floor can be very smelly and requires a minimum of several hours to dry. Laying carpeting or tile can be quicker, but carpet glue can stink for some time. Laying your new flooring on a weekend will reduce the disruption of work if your office is functional during the renovation. Most flooring companies work on the weekends, though they might charge a slightly higher rate.

What would an office be without office desks? In our office, we have three desks. Office interiors are important as they help keep you focused on your work.

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Filed under: Construction

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